Sithara Krishnakumar makes her Coke Studio Tamil debut with Kalyana kacheri

Sithara Krishnakumar, a multifaceted artiste, who has been enthralling the audience for almost two decades, is a name to reckon with in God’s own country, Kerala. With a plethora of chartbusters in her kitty — Pennoruthi chembarathi, Mazhayurangatha rathri, Soubhagyam, and Cherathukal, to name a few — the singer and reality show judge is now testing waters in the Tamil independent music scene with Coke Studio Tamil season 2’s latest offering, Kalyana kacheri. As the name suggests, the song is set against the backdrop of a wedding.

Sharing her experience working on the peppy number, Sithara tells Indulge, “I used to watch all editions and seasons of Coke Studio, and I think it is every singer’s dream to be featured in it. So, when I got an invitation from the team for Kalyana kacheri, it came as a huge surprise. I didn’t expect to get featured on Coke Studio Tamil, as I hail from Kerala. Working on the song Kalyana kacheri was oodles of fun, and it doled out some happy vibes. It instantly lifts your mood and makes you happy.”

Ask Sithara what’s the best feature about the song, and pat comes the reply. “Every facet, in fact. It has a positive vibe. It instantly lifts your mood and makes you happy. The team sent me the tune and apprised me of how the song should be sung. My friend, singer Sathyapakash, helped me with the language and corrected my diction,” says Sithara, adding that Yaaro yaarodi from Alaipayuthey and Penne penne nin kalyanamai from Meesa Madhavan are her favourite wedding numbers.

Sithara, who has been a part of the industry for almost two decades, says that being a singer today is not a cakewalk. “It’s not easy to stay sane amidst all the chaos and the barrage of social media comments. People are obsessed with the number of views for your posts and comments, but they don’t realise that they do not really lend a helping hand to us. I have been learning music and undergoing training since I was eight years old. For me, music is a continous learning process. And it is not about competing with others.”

Sithara, who is also the lead singer of the band Project Malabaricus, says that this is also the best time to be an independent musician. “When we make a song for ourselves, we can churn out a tune without any expectations or pressure about the content, characters, situations, or production. There is no one to tell us what to do or how to do it. Of course, we have to consistently jam together and create a song. But making a song is a happy process, and that’s a beautiful part of independent music.”

The last music video from the band was Bhagavathi , which celebrates the strength of women. “Our next song releases in August, and it’s a happy song about Kerala,” says Sithara.

Quiz the playback singer, who has been a judge on reality shows, about the current generation of participants, and she says. “They are brilliant, and they know skills and techniques that we are not exposed to. They are astute — technically, professionally, and musically. So, I just consider those platforms as interactive spaces. It’s not about judging someone at all.”

She adds, “When I was a participant on a reality show, senior singers like KS Chithra amma gave me many pearls of wisdom. She used to tell me that one should never mimic anyone and have their own style. That would be my piece of advice as well.”